Morning Has Broken
by MissSteph22
Summary: Parties are fun, but sometimes they get out of hand. What you don't want to happen, is for the chaos from the night before to slap you in the face the morning after. So it takes a lot of fixing to put things right again, and for these six chipmunks, it's going to take an awful lot. Oneshot. Normal pairings. Some violence and alcohol. Cartoon-verse. Read and review, thanks!


***Laughs nervously* Um... hey guys! So... yeah, I can explain. I've been away for a VERY long time due to school, exams, and stress and medical reasons. BUT... I want to make it up to you, so I wrote this oneshot (or is it really? I'm not sure) for you to read and well, I spent all day writing this so I devoted my time to this awesome fandom, therefore I haven't abandoned you completely! ^_^**

**Okay, so a couple of warnings for this oneshot: it contains violence, alcohol, and mild cursing. Hope you don't mind guys! By the way, I have more to say, but I'll talk to you all at the end of the story ^_^  
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**P.S - I own nothing, except for this plot :)  
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* * *

Early hours of the morning. The lights were dimmed in the spacious alpine lodge they had been staying in for the weekend. Techno music was droning on quietly in the background. Everything was a dull haze for the chipmunk, as his steel-grey eyes fluttered open. _What the hell happened last night? _He found himself sprawled across the hard wooden flooring, which was littered with empty cups and streamers. He looked up to find a blonde chipette trying to pick up said rubbish. Banners were hanging loosely from the walls and he noted a couple of drink stains of the furniture. A party? Surely not...

"Simon, are you awake?" A light voice startled him into full awareness. He glanced to the aforementioned chipette trying to tidy the place up, and rubbed his head.

"Hmm?" He croaked slightly, his voice a little cracked whilst his throat felt raw. It hurt to cough. "Huh... Eleanor, is that you?"

"What? Of course it's me? Are you feeling okay?" He watched Eleanor closely. She was trailing a large black bag behind her, bending over a few times in an effort to pick up the carelessly strewn litter.

"T-to be honest Eleanor... I don't really know where I am at the moment. W-what... happened last night?"

The blonde haired girl stopped, and pondered over an answer. What _did _happen last night? All she could remember really, or perhaps _wanted _to remember, was that the six – her sisters and the Chipmunks – were all trusted as teenagers to take care of this lodge for a weekend for some personal space and a vacation. Miss Miller and Dave were in California – at home. She looked back at Simon and shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no idea... but this place is a mess. We need to tidy up or we'll be in big trouble, again."

Simon rubbed at his temples in frustration, and made an attempt to stand up, only to find his limbs were rather weak. His head was pounding, as was his upper arm. Curiosity was only getting the better of him now. _What truly happened last night? Where was everyone?_

"E-Eleanor... where's the others?" Simon whispered, trying to soothe his frail voice. To be honest, he was a little afraid of the answer awaiting him.

"Well, if you're referring to Alvin's friends, they're gone," Eleanor remarked, a hint of ice in her voice. "As for the rest, well, Theodore's on that sofa behind you..."

Simon craned his neck around to get a glimpse of the sleeping figure before him. His little brother was curled up into a ball on the stained sofa, little snores escaping his mouth. Eleanor continued.

"I don't know where my sisters are, and I don't particularly want to know where Alvin is," Eleanor glanced to the floor, shaking her head in despair before resuming with her task. Simon furrowed his brow, repeating in his head what had just been told to him. _Theodore... Alvin... Alvin's friends...?_

"Alvin had friends over? When? W-wha-?"

"Don't concern yourself with it... I think we already touched that issue last night, Simon." The green-clad chipette said monotonously, trying as best as she could not to remember the previous events. Sighing in defeat, Simon sat on the floor. He had no recollection of last night, nor did he know where his older brother or the remaining chipettes were. Then fear edged its way in. What if something terrible had happened? It was hard enough trying to justify the dull ache in his upper arm. Perhaps he fell to the floor in exhaustion?

"Eleanor?" He looked up the busy chipette, and eventually his eyes met with hers. "What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

"R-really? Oh... How long have you been awake?"

"...I didn't sleep." There was a glimmer of apprehension in her voice. She struggled now to look the bespectacled chipmunk in the eyes as she felt cold tingles rushing down her spine. On a closer inspection, the girl really did look tired. Her pigtails were loose and ready to collapse, whilst her chocolate brown eyes were barely open. Deep purple rings were only adding emphasis to her tired state, yet she was too alert to let her worries go and rest up.

"I really envy Theodore, you know. Every night, he sleeps like a baby. Wish I could get a decent night's sleep like him," Simon remarked, looking behind him again. Eleanor only sighed.

"You really don't know what happened last night, do you?"

Simon frowned. "No, not really..." He looked to his brother again. He was surrounded by crumbs – possibly from cookies – whilst on his face there were several salty lines staining his cheeks. His entire face looked a little flushed and his eyes were clenched shut. "Well, I do recall for some reason coming in here and talking to him... I think I blacked out after that."

"You fell asleep after talking to him, but he was already asleep." The green-clad chipette continued to tidy to floor, the bin liner gradually beginning to fill. "We should just let him sleep. He had a rough night."

"Oh, okay." The blue-clad chipmunk turned again and stared intensely at the floor. "What happened to hi-"

"I really don't think we should have to-"

"E-Elea...Eleanor? Is... Is that you?" A slurred voice called from the kitchen doorway. Both Simon and Eleanor looked over to the new voice, only to be dismayed by the sight.

A tall girl was leaning against the doorframe, a hand on it for extra support. Her hair was tousled, and cascading down her back whilst a dress was hanging loosely from her shoulders. She had only one shoe on and pair of pink spectacles were askew. Emerald green eyes were glinting with a certain unfamiliarity.

"J...Jeanette?" Simon stared in surprise at what stood before him. This surely wasn't his friend? Eleanor meanwhile rushed over to her sister and took a hold of her waist.

"Jeanette, what on Earth happened to you? Y-you're a mess!" Of all the things Eleanor recalled from the night before, she couldn't for the life of her imagine why her sensible sister looked like she'd been dragged through a ditch.

"I... I feel lightheaded, but 'm alright," the brunette replied, swaying slightly in her sister's grip. "Lemme go..."

Jeanette tugged herself out of Eleanor's hold and attempted to take shaky steps forward, only to feel herself forwards towards the ground. Before any damage could be done, Simon mustered all his strength to leap up and catch the falling girl, but failed, and both were knocked to the ground. This time Simon had his arms around his counterpart's waist.

"E-everything's... blurry. I can't see," Jeanette said, squinting her eyes. Simon responded by adjusting her glasses with a trembling hand, but to no avail. Everything was still blurred to the purple-clad chipette. While she spoke, her male counterpart caught a whiff of her breath. It certainly didn't smell minty like always. He recoiled in disgust.

"Jeanette, have you been drinking?" Eleanor gasped from behind, a hand over her mouth. She looked horrified merely with the thought of her sister partaking in such activities.

"No... Why would I do that?" Jeanette hiccupped, and felt her stomach lurch. If she _was _drinking, then she was certainly going to experience the side effects.

"Y-you smell of alcohol, and you look like you've had a lot to drink." Simon looked over to Eleanor, as if he was trying to find a reasonable answer for this.

"How could she be drunk? There was no alcohol at this party! Just fruit punch..." The blonde haired chipette raised her voice slightly. Knowing she wouldn't win however, she lowered her voice. "Put her on the sofa next to Theodore. Make sure you don't wake him up though."

Simon did as he was told, and gathered enough strength within to gently lift the intoxicated girl and place her as carefully as he could next to the sleeping chipmunk, who only took up about a quarter of the sofa. He was sweating, and looking into her eyes made it difficult. He wasn't particularly used to the sight of Jeanette under the influence of drink, but made a conclusion in his head that this couldn't have been her fault.

"Someone's spiked her drink," Simon proclaimed, placing a hand on his throat to ease away some of the pain he had whilst speaking.

"What! How could that be? I just told you there was no alcohol at this party!" Eleanor exclaimed, striding back to the black rubbish bag. The chipmunk shook his head.

"If I know Jeanette, which I do..." He looked down the girl, who was mumbling incoherently to herself, "Then I know she wouldn't voluntarily consume something as dangerous as alcohol, not when she's this young. The only possible answer is that someone spiked her drink when she wasn't looking, and they kept doing it all night until she got herself into this state."

Eleanor looked at her sister through sympathetic eyes. Who would, in their right mind, want to do something as reckless as this to Jeanette Miller of all people? Then something in her brain clicked. Alvin's friends. They had a shady look about them. They were nothing but a bunch of rowdy teenage boys, seeking fun and a wild night. It could only have been them. There _was _no alcohol at this party, until Alvin introduced his friends, who were all carrying plastic carrier bags – probably filled with cans of beer. Eleanor could feel herself seething with rage, but dropped her emotions instantly in favour of keeping the peace.

"I think I know who it was," she said cautiously. "One of Alvin's friends."

Simon slowly looked up at Eleanor, his eyes burning with something Eleanor was certain she had seen before. There was a long pause between the two. The music continued to swirl and jive through the tense air. Simon sat on the arm of the sofa, face flushed with emotions he couldn't pinpoint, whilst Eleanor knelt down to pick up more empty cups. The only thing that broke the atmosphere was the sound of the front door slamming, but nothing followed after that.

* * *

A couple of paces away from the lodge, a red-clad chipmunk sat in a snow bank. Icy chills were rushing through his body, but his face felt hot. The melting snow was dampening his clothing but he did not care. He glared towards the horizon of fir trees and sighed irritably. His cheek felt incredibly swollen, as he rested a palm over it. It stung to the touch, and small trickles of blood were trailing down and dripping onto his red hoodie. Heck, it was probably bruised too. He knew exactly how he'd received this. Maybe he deserved it, maybe not. He swore to himself not to cry but he couldn't erase the fact he'd laid a hand on his younger brother. What hurt more though, was that he'd received the blow in return, this time harder, and this numbed his emotional pain slightly.

He felt a lingering presence behind him, breathing softly. He could hear teeth chattering against the cold wintry air and so he turned to see who was invading his personal space. A flash of pink. He groaned and turned back to the empty space ahead of him.

"What do _you _want? Wanna have a go as well?" He muttered bitterly, refusing to look up at the female standing behind him. The pink-clad female sighed, probably in annoyance, as always.

"You're an ass, Alvin Seville." She said, indeed giving him to response he wanted, but she stepped forward and took a seat next to him, wincing sharply at the feeling of the snow beneath her. The chipmunk glanced to the side, eyes widening a little at the chipette's actions. Usually she'd grimace at the thought of frolicking in the snow. "You ruined the party, that's for sure. Everybody is in a mess, Jeanette's drunk, Eleanor's in there cleaning up the mess, Theodore's upset, and Simon's pissed – big time."

Alvin cringed at the mention of his brother's name. Of course he expected his brother to be mad. Nonetheless, he let Brittany continue.

"Not to mention that you disappeared after... after _that. _You... well you had me worried, Alvin. It's cold out here, and anything could have happened to you. At least your friends have gone." She wrapped her arms around herself for some warmth, and stared intensely at the ground. She hated having to admit she was worried about her counterpart, as he was indeed a jerk.

"I didn't know my friends were going to cause this much trouble. I-I just wanted to have some fun – that's why I invited them." He coughed, finally speaking. He lifted his head to meet Brittany's gaze. Blue met blue. It wasn't a friendly gaze, rather an icy one. "It's not like it was my fault! Yet you're all bitching at me like I was the one who caused it all... again." He spat out the last word and rested his head in his hands.

"Yeah? Well sometimes we all need to grow up and stop acting like a child. You're better than that Alvin. I'm probably the only one right now who isn't willing to kick the living daylights out of you, so you best drop the attitude and listen to me." It's not like she hated him, per say, she just didn't like it when he made moves like this. Her voice softened as she rested a hand on Alvin's rigid shoulder. "You need to control yourself, Alvin. Know when enough is enough. See the damage you've done, all because of your jealousy and lack of control over your so-called friends. I can forgive you, but only if you accept that you can't pull a stunt like this again."

The chipmunk's shoulder went limp, as he removed his hands from his blushing face. He hated being told he was wrong, and most of all he hated when he had to swallow his pride.

"What jealousy? I don't see any jealousy," he muttered weakly, trying to defend himself. Brittany shook her head, and looked him up and down pitifully.

"You really think... you really think there was _love _behind that kiss?" She almost laughed. "Alvin, it meant nothing. It was nothing. It happened by accident, and I didn't even know it was him until I saw you swinging for him."

Alvin winced again, remembering his actions. It made him feel like a total jackass.

"You know what I think, Alvin? I think we should go in there, and talk this through. It won't get sorted until something is done." Brittany moved her hand down to his upper arm, and soothingly stroked it.

"Britt..." Alvin watched her hand, and felt guilt swell up inside him. "Why? Why do you-?"

"Because I care. I'm a little like you, see. I know it's hard to get over your demons and accept that you were wrong. So, you coming in with me or what?"

"I-I can't."

"Why not? You can't sit out here all day, Alvin. What would Dave think if we all came home in this state?"

Dave. Alvin had to admit, that man was good at evoking fear from him. Ever since he was a child, if he did wrong, he would receive a good yelling at from his guardian. This time, Dave wasn't here to tell Alvin he was wrong. He had to accept it himself, but for the sake of going home to a friendly atmosphere, he decided he had to pluck up the courage. Damn Brittany and her blackmailing. The blistering cold winds picked up in speed.

"Fine," he muttered quietly, so that Brittany couldn't hear him correctly. "I'll go tell everyone I'm sorry."

* * *

Eleanor had just about finished tidying the floor of the room, sweat was sticking to her forehead whilst the music continued to play. She had yet to remove the stains that were on the sofa and the chairs. Not to mention the marks that were left on the walls. She sighed wearily. Why did she always offer to be so helpful?

Jeanette was gradually sobering up, a dreadful feeling in her stomach increasing. She sat on the sofa, Simon sitting on the arm next to her as she moaned in pain and delusion. Everything was still blurry, but gradually things were coming into focus, now that there was no more alcohol for her to drink.

Theodore was still asleep, but the sound of the front door slamming shut again was to jolt him awake, but he kept his eyes closed in protest. He wanted to sleep.

Everyone but Theodore averted their eyes to the two people walking into the living room. The tension had become incredibly thick at the very moment in time. The redheaded chipette urged for her red-clad counterpart to speak. Everyone was waiting for the first word to be said.

"I'm..." Alvin scratched the back of his head nervously, fumbling for the correct words to say. Everything _did _look a mess. "I'm sorry..."

Simon was first. "You're sorry?" He said quietly, hands curled into tight fists. "You're sorry? Sorry isn't going to take away what you did!"

The blue-clad chipmunk lunged forward, ready to grab a hold of his elder brother, before Alvin gripped onto Simon's wrists, grunting he tried to keep his brother away.

Eleanor and Brittany looked on, feeling a repeat of last night coming on.

"Whoa... whoa whoa whoa... Simon, please, ugh, hear me out bro," Alvin said in between gasps, pushing his brother back, grabbing his wrists tightly. Simon growled and continued to reach for Alvin, anger boiling up inside, and seeping out through whatever method he could find. "You're seriously not going to hit me again, are you?"

Simon, realising what Alvin meant, dropped his arms and glared furiously at him, waiting for a response.

"I'm not going to hit you," he spat, "only because I don't have enough strength to give you a bruise bigger than the one you've already got."

"Okay, I think we should all calm down and-" Eleanor interjected, raising a hand.

"You see what your friends did? They got Jeanette wasted! Wasted! I swear if it were legal I'd-"

"Please! You're going to wake up Theodore!" Eleanor warned, pointing towards the "sleeping" figure.

"Yeah well, I was _going _to say I was sorry, but now I don't know if I want to. I still haven't forgiven _you _for what _you _did!" Alvin folded his arms, looking between Simon, and Brittany.

"Alvin, I already told you that meant nothing! Why are you doing this? I thought we agreed outside that-"

"You couldn't help yourself, could you? You harp on about how important Jeanette is to you and how you can't believe my friends got her drunk, and yet, you go ahead and-"

"Alvin! Please can we drop this! We're here to say sorry to each other, not to start more fights!" Brittany shouted, grabbing onto his shoulder. The eldest chipmunk shrugged her arm away, looking disgusted as he recalled the scene from last night. Jeanette began to mumble more loudly, becoming more and more conscious of her surroundings. Theodore lay on the sofa, listening to the conversation in full, eyes slowly flickering open.

"YOU KISSED BRITTANY!" Alvin yelled, pushing Simon back with a little more force than what was intended. Simon fell to the floor, looking up at his enraged brother.

"I told you last night," Simon began, resting his elbows on the floor, "that the kiss meant nothing. It was AN ACCIDENT!"

"ACCIDENT MY ASS!" Alvin jumped down to meet his brother, and before both knew where they were, they were rolling around, trying to hit one another.

"Guys..." Eleanor watched in horror, trying to stop the chaos before someone got hurt, again. Brittany watched in shame. She knew that Alvin had real jealousy problems, especially when it came to her. To see him fighting with his brother over something as stupid as an accidental kiss really made her feel awful.

"Alvin, you're so possessive over Brittany, and yet she's not even your girlfriend. Try explaining that one!" Simon shouted, trying to draw back a little.

"You know how I feel about her!" Alvin retorted.

"But the kiss was an accident you jerk! She was pushed into me! It barely lasted a second. You're making it out like it was a lot longer than that!" Simon grunted, trying to avoid his brother's attempts to grab at him. By this point, Alvin's red cap was lying on the ground next to them.

"Like hell it was an accident! I see the way you look at her. You want her, don't you? And you've got a goddamn nerve to say to me you love Jeanette!"

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" Simon screamed, glasses squint with trying to tackle his red-clad brother. His cheeks were crimson, as his biggest secret was shouted across the room to everyone who was awake.

"Alvin, you're being stupid! Simon doesn't see Brittany that way!" Eleanor tried to soothe the fighting chipmunk, but the pair were so engrossed in their squabble to notice anything else. Jeanette, who felt an overwhelming wave of sickness rise within her, pounced from her seat and raced out of the door, and up as fast as she could to the bathroom. She was crying painfully all the way. Another voice followed, shocking everyone in silence.

"GUYS! STOP FIGHTING! I MEAN IT!" It was a timid yet meaningful cry. Both Simon and Alvin averted their eyes to see Theodore sitting upright on the sofa, eyes glazed with tears threatening to fall. Eleanor gasped and wrapped her arms around her counterpart, trying to calm him down. She glared at the duo on the floor before whispering gently to Theodore.

"Teddy, it's alright. It's alright," she rocked him back and forth, trying to calm herself down too in the process. "Shhh, don't cry." Theodore kept his gaze on his brothers.

"Theo..." Alvin whispered, realising what an idiot he was being. He was supposed to remedy the situation, not make it worse. Green eyes were staring straight at him, into his soul. He couldn't let his baby brother see this, he didn't deserve it. Simon closed his eyes for a brief second, recollecting his thoughts. A mountain of guilt was resting inside his heart, and he looked to the door. He remembered catching a glimpse of Jeanette rushing out of the room, and a sudden instinct to look for her hit him. He wriggled out from under Alvin and followed his friend to the bathroom, where he was sure she'd be.

Now that Simon was gone, Alvin sat up and looked to everyone still in the room. Incredulous amounts of sorrow were ready to burst. It started with a tear falling down his bruised cheek.

"Theodore, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to hurt your feelings by making you see that." He crawled towards the youngest chipmunk, biting his lip. Theodore whimpered, clutching Eleanor's hand but still looking at Alvin.

"I-I saw it last night too, w-when you hit him on the arm. T-then he punched you in the f-face."

"It wasn't supposed to get out of hand like that. I-I just... I overreacted." He looked solemnly to the ground, noticing the truth in his words.

"You did overreact Alvin, and now look – Simon's furious with you still, and you upset Theodore. W-what else is there to say? I told you the kiss meant nothing," Brittany said, picking up Alvin's red baseball cap.

"I thought he had the hots for you," Alvin admitted, going bright red. "I thought that-"

"You thought wrong," Eleanor interrupted, loosening her hold on Theodore once she felt he calmed down enough. "Simon doesn't love Brittany. You know who he loves, and after what happened a few minutes ago, he'll be lucky if he even gets to speak to her."

* * *

Simon walked as quickly as he could down the hallway upstairs. He had to reach the bathroom to make sure Jeanette was alright. Then he heard it. The sounds of retching and panting and crying were all emerging from the bathroom. A small crack of light was seeping through into the dark hallway, and so Simon followed it. The smell was revolting, but his feet carried him onwards. He stopped short when he reached the door. Should he just go in? That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of him. Perhaps he should ask first... but he had to help Jeanette.

"J-Jeanette?" He held his throat, to prevent his voice from hurting. No response from her. It all went silent. "C-can I come in?"

The chipette started to vomit again, so Simon took this as his cue to go in and help. He creaked the door open gently, allowing the light to flood into the hallway. He adjusted his glasses before stepping into the room, taking note of the sight before him. Jeanette sat next to the toilet, face a mixture of ghost white and blotched red. Her glasses were squint again, and she had lost both her shoes. The chipmunk felt a large surge of sympathy for the poor girl, and he knelt down to place a hand on her back. What he didn't expect, was for Jeanette to start sobbing into his shirt.

"S-S-Simon... w-what happened? W-what's wrong with me?" She whimpered, clutching onto his shoulders as though she wasn't prepared to let him go. Simon wasn't going anywhere though.

"Jeanette," he whispered oh so softly, "y-you're experiencing symptoms of a hangover."

"H-hangover? How can that be?" She looked nervously up into his eyes, fear and dread showing in her eyes.

"S-someone... someone spiked your drink, Jeanette. You were drunk... b-but it's alright, you're sobering up now." He rubbed circles into her back, letting her cry into his shirt again. She's obviously never been in this situation before, so she needed all the support she could get. The chipette pulled back again, this time with a sad look upon her face.

"I... I saw... why were you and Alvin fighting?" She was afraid to ask, but she couldn't erase what had occurred in the living room. She would have continued to cling onto her friend but upon realising _who _it was she was crying into, she had to let go. The feeling in her stomach returned when she remembered faintly the words that were said in there. She didn't really need to ask, but for safety measures, she did.

"Huh? Oh, that. I-it was nothing Jeanette... nothing you had to worry about. I'm sure it'll all blow over now." That's what he had hoped. Who knows what Alvin was doing in that room as he spoke? He felt a little ashamed that Jeanette had witnessed the, admittedly, pointless quarrel. The bespectacled chipette sighed a little, and then rested both her hands on the toilet seat. Tear stained cheeks stood out against the cold bathroom light.

"You and Brittany... you'd make a great couple, you know." Jeanette tried her best to keep calm, and not let her voice falter. She refused eye-contact with the boy sitting before her. Simon's eyes widened at the statement, and he felt his heart pang with immense guilt at the words. He didn't know how much Jeanette had heard, but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

"W-we wouldn't. I don't see her that way. B-besides, I think she likes Alvin anyway, and he likes her. Why break up something that's meant to be? She's too different for me. She's a drama queen to start..." He stopped, remembering that Brittany is Jeanette's older sister, so he had to keep his comments friendly. "She's like Alvin, to put it simply. Only she's a saner, less arrogant version I imagine."

Jeanette struggled to listen to Simon talk about her sister. It was like he actually _trying _to point out the good traits in her, as though he actually liked her. She rested a hand on her stomach, the bile rising again.

"But you kissed... doesn't that mean you like her?" Jeanette couldn't help it. She wasn't jealous... not a million years. She was just a little hurt. She would never act like Alvin, that's for sure.

"It meant n-nothing." His steel-grey eyes were shining with sincerity. "She's not... my type. You know what my type is?" He felt embarrassed that he had to have this conversation, but he'd do anything to put his counterpart at ease.

"W-what's _your _type?" Jeanette asked bitterly, ready to vomit again. She felt a pounding headache heading her way.

"Someone... who's a little more like me," he whispered. The blue-clad chipmunk struggled to look into Jeanette's emerald green eyes, and more so when she suddenly turned and vomited into the toilet. He grimaced at the sight, but put a shaking hand on her back to help. She lifted her head, and coughed violently. Wiping her mouth, she frowned.

"You mean... someone who will willingly attack their brother and give them a bruise that will last for weeks? Someone who's always quick to put their brother down, even when they try their hardest to amend things? Is that your type?"

Simon swallowed, and tried not to take major offence. But... she had a point.

"N-no... the fight, he hit me first." God, that sounded better in his head. Now he sounded like a five-year-old. Now he wished he couldn't remember last night, and had woke with no recollection, like he almost did. Just _how _much of the argument was Jeanette listening to? She really is smart then, he had to suppose, if she could read into the words and piece together last night as well as today.

"You didn't need to hit back though. You could have been mature enough to put it behind you. I mean, surely you knew anyway you didn't love Brittany. Why did you have to hit Alvin on top of giving him verbal abuse?"

"...Party vibes, I guess?" He felt so weak now.

"Fighting's not the answer." Jeanette whispered to him, taking her hands off the toilet seat to adjust her glasses and fix her dress, only for the straps to fall loose again. She stared intensely at him before coughing and rubbing at her head, which was now beginning to hurt a great deal.

"You're right. A-and... I'm sorry, Jeanette." Simon lowered his head and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Why are you apologising to me? You should be saying sorry to Alvin."

"I'm apologising to you because I should have known better. Y-you were vulnerable, and now look at you. Those jerks spiked your drink and I should have been there to help, but instead I was too busy fighting with Alvin to realise you were in grave danger." Simon let out a shaky breath, and looked at Jeanette. Her eyes were watering, and her face was still contorted with a mixture of pain and sadness. Yet in her eyes, something sparkled. Simon, feeling that she won't, but it was worth a try, opened out his arms to let Jeanette hug him. She at least needed a shoulder to cry on. That shoulder had to be his. Jeanette muffled a sob and crawled into her friend's warm, inviting embrace. She let streams of tears fall onto his blue shirt again and wrapped her arms around him. In return, Simon rested a hand on her back and one on her head, letting his fingers comb through her soft, chestnut brown hair.

"S-Simon... my head hurts," Jeanette mumbled into him.

"W-we should probably get you some painkillers then," Simon replied, pulling away, but resting both his hands on the chipette's warm, wet face. He could have sat in there all day with her, had it not been for the smell and Jeanette's headache.

* * *

More tears ran down Alvin's cheeks, only stinging when they grazed over the cut formed in the centre of his bruise. Now he felt there would be no way to repair the damage.

"I really messed up, huh?" He said, bringing an arm up to wipe his tears onto the sleeve of his hoodie. The pink-clad chipette approached him slowly, and knelt down beside him.

"You know what the strangest part is? None of us were drinking. Jeanette's the one who should be acting out of control, not us. B-but, I think we _all _have some sobering up to do," she presented the cap in front of Alvin, a reassuring look in her baby blue eyes. Alvin looked from the cap, to Brittany, and nodded.

"You're right. I'm really sorry, forgive me?" Brittany exhaled and wrapped her arms around the chipmunk, now wearing the cap on his head.

"I do... but do something like this again," she whispered into his ear, "and it won't be Simon tackling you to the ground. These nails of mine can leave you scarred for months."

After Brittany pulled away, Alvin chuckled nervously. "A-ah don't worry, I already know" He winked, and turned to Eleanor and Theodore.

"Um... I'm sorry if I upset you guys. My friends can be real jerks sometimes, me included."

"It's okay Alvin, but... I want you to help out with the cleaning." Eleanor pointed to the walls and the furniture. Alvin inwardly groaned, but accepted. The eldest chipmunk put a hand on his brother's knee, before looking him in the eye. Theodore only nodded, sniffling. Then a small smile graced his lips as he spoke.

"You know, we were all the wrong somehow, weren't we?"

"What do you mean, Theodore?" Eleanor asked, tucking a strand of her hair away.

"Well, there's Alvin, but that was only a small part of it. We were supposed to take responsibility of this place whilst Dave wasn't here. We should have said from the start to Alvin and his friends that they couldn't mess around like they did." He was fidgeting with his hands. "A-and Simon shouldn't have retaliated when Alvin hit him. Nobody should have been fighting. We should have realised that Jeanette was in trouble and that she could have seriously hurt herself, but we didn't, did we? We have to put this behind us now and accept our mistakes."

"Well put, Theodore." All heads turned to the doorway. There stood Simon, with an arm around a frail Jeanette. He deeply inhaled, and walked with his purple-clad counterpart towards the group of people. "We don't want Dave finding out about this, do we?"

"No," Theodore whispered, looking up at his brother. Brittany instantly rushed to Jeanette's side and took her hand.

"Jeanette, are you alright?" She asked, concern etched across her face.

"She needs some painkillers, but other than that, she'll be alright, won't you Jeanette?" Simon said, squeezing her gently. The chipette nodded in reply.

"Simon?" A voice from below caught the bespectacled chipmunk's attention. He looked down, and found his elder brother looking through apologetic eyes. Alvin stood, and looked Simon in the eye. "I... I'm really..."

"I'm sorry too, Alvin," the blue-clad chipmunk responded, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Wha-hey!" Alvin spluttered, feeling like the limelight had been stolen. "I didn't even get to finish!"

"You're my brother, Alvin. I think I'd know you inside-out by now." Simon let go of Jeanette to allow Brittany to take her into the kitchen for medication. Alvin mouthed a simple "oh", and then a grin formed.

"Bro hug?" He asked, opening out his arms. Simon shook his head.

"On any other day, I'd say no... but I guess just this one time I'll allow you to-"

He was interrupted by Alvin squashing him in a tight brotherly hug. He sighed and rested his head on the eldest chipmunk's head, relieved that they sorted out their differences. Eleanor smiled along with Theodore, both gladder than anything that they could fix things up now.

"I'm sorry I accused you... a-and then hit you." Alvin murmured into his brother's ear.

"I'm sorry I hit back, and sorry for today too..." His younger brother replied, cringing.

Once Alvin let Simon go, Eleanor began.

"Okay, so we need to agree on some things here. First of all, we need to tidy this place up," This was met with a loud groan from Alvin. "And we can't tell Dave about _any _of this, agreed?"

"Agreed," everyone said.

"If Dave asks about this guy here," Alvin pointed to his cheek, "I'll need to think of something to tell him, but that's alright, because Alvin Seville is great at lying!"

"That's not something you want to be telling people, Alvin," Brittany said, re-entering the room with Jeanette.

"True, true..." Alvin pondered over what his female counterpart had just told him.

Brittany glanced at the floor, worry striking her features. The same feeling hit the others. It all happened so suddenly, and for sure their relationships could have been destroyed. What happened was a true example of carelessness, and if Dave _were _here, he'd be sure to drill that into their heads. They had to immediately patch _everything _up, before they went home, and before it could truly sink in. They all made a silent pact not to bring this up again in the future. It was for the best.

"Okay, so we need to make a start on cleaning the place up. I'll help Eleanor clean up the floor," Theodore chimed, hopping off the sofa.

"I'll scrub the furniture, Jeanette, you sit back and rest," Simon said, grabbing himself a sponge.

"I'll try remove some of the stains from the wall," Brittany said, unsure once she saw the state of the walls in the room.

"And _I'll _go leave you guys to it, and I'll play in the snow while I wait for you," Alvin said, pointing to the door, tilting his cap.

"ALVIN!"

* * *

**Okay, so you know how I've been gone for so long? Well, it does contain the reasons stated above (school, exams etc.) but I've kinda been addicted to another fandom at the moment so I don't know how frequently I'll be updating for now... BUT BUT BUT... for all you people who read and loved my first ever fanfic "Leaving" (AATC) I have a WONDERFUL surprise in store for you, but you'll have to wait until it's ready ^_^ In other words, let's see how I'll be STAYING here in the AATC fandom before school takes over my life again. Oh, and I'm 16 now ^_^ Just thought you should know.**

**By the way, did you know there's a new feature for the AATC archive? The "world" selector? I think it's amazing, as now you can choose to have your stories set in the movie world (that's the only one you can choose) so to avoid confusion between fans. Just so you know, all my stories will be set in the cartoon-verse unless I state it's not.  
**

**Also, you know that new Pixar movie "Brave"? I REALLY WANNA GO SEE IT! It's based in my country! :3 :3 :3  
**

**Please review this story and tell me what you thought - reviews make me happy and they help encourage me when I'm writing ^_^  
**

**Peace, love, and COOKIES! ~ MissSteph22 x :)  
**


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